Single-step open and mix food storage container

ABSTRACT

An internal container for storage of a first substance and in use with an external container for storage of a second disparate substance is provided. The internal container may be stored within the external container while keeping the first substance and the second substance separated until a predetermined time. At the predetermined time the first substance and the second substance may be mixed by continuously accelerating or shaking the external container without any direct user contact with the internal container.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/392,088, filed on Jul. 25, 2022, which is hereby incorporated herein in its entirety.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention generally relates to a container for the storage of a first substance which is itself enclosed within a vessel, such as a water bottle, mason jar, baby bottle, or the like, where the vessel is filled with a second substance and the container stores the first substance until the mixing of the first and second substances is desired. More specifically, the present invention generally relates to an internal container for the storage of a first substance that can be opened without direct user contact, where the internal container is enclosed within an external vessel, where the external vessel is filled with a second substance and the internal container stores the first substance until the mixing of the first substance and second substance is desired, at which point the internal container may facilitate the mixing of the first substance and the second substance.

BACKGROUND

Mixtures of disparate materials including various liquids and powders, especially for food or nutrition, can degrade over time. An example of this is the degradation of baby formula causing colic in infants. In detail, the normal preparation of baby formula requires the mixing of a powdered baby formula with water. When the resultant mixture is left for an extended period of time, for example about two hours or more, the resultant mixture degrades and may cause colic or even risk harboring increased amounts of bacteria.

As another example, in the case of protein shakes (e.g., powdered protein such as whey protein mixed with a liquid such as water), congealing and clumping together may occur after about two to four hours when a previously mixed protein shake is stored at room temperature. When one considers the amount of time that may pass between preparing and consuming a protein shake, the potential issues with degradation of the protein shake become clear.

To overcome the above issues, disparate materials, including liquids and powders, are often stored in separate containers and subsequently mixed to provide the freshest, least degraded mixture at the time of consumption. However, this storage process requires additional steps or tools to help mix the disparate materials, thus increasing process complexity and expended time when preparing, storing, and consuming.

For example, to have a fresh supplement at a gym, a user may carry a container for their supplement and a bottle for their water to the gym inside their purse or bag. When the user would like to mix the supplement and the water, the user would have to open both the water bottle and the supplement container, optionally use a scoop to measure the supplement, and then add the supplement into the open water bottle. The user would then need to re-seal both the supplement container and the water bottle and shake the water bottle to mix the supplement and the water.

Alternatively, the user may choose to scoop the measured supplement into an empty water bottle, and at the time of use, the user would need to open the water bottle, find a water source to fill the water bottle, and reseal the water bottle prior to shaking and thus mixing the supplement and water into the desired solution. In either situation, the user is required to complete a secondary or tertiary action in order to ensure separation of the disparate materials prior to use.

In another example, to have a fresh baby bottle filled with formula in the middle of the night, a user may need to get up, go to the kitchen, measure and fill the baby bottle with formula, fill the bottle with water, screw the lid on, and shake the bottle to mix.

In the current state of the art, products have similar features such as a food container comprising two components (e.g., a lid and a bowl), liquid sealed containers, and food mixing containers. As described above, several related issues exist within the conventional art.

Of note, within conventional systems, users are forced to compromise when it comes to mixing and utilizing disparate materials. Specifically, users can pre-mix the disparate materials and be faced with potential degradation and contamination issues. Alternatively, users can mix the disparate materials closer to the time of desired consumption; however, this may require the user to travel with additional mixing, measuring, and storage apparatuses, which also inevitably increases the user's mixing time.

What is needed is a device, system, and method that allows for the user to keep disparate materials separated until a desired time, while allowing for the mixing of the disparate materials with minimal user intervention.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to an aspect of the present invention, an internal container is adapted to be positioned within an external vessel, said internal container including: a bowl including: an internal surface; an external surface; and a rim disposed at an interface of said internal and said external surface and defining an opening of said bowl; and a lid configured to mate with said bowl so as to collectively define an interior volume of said internal container adapted to be at least partially filled with a first substance, where said lid includes: a lip positioned along an outer perimeter of said lid, where in a state of non-sustained agitation, said internal container is positioned within said external vessel, said lid is fixed to said bowl, and said internal container interior volume is completely separated from an interior volume of said external vessel, and where in a state of sustained agitation, said internal container is positioned within said external vessel and said lid is separated from said bowl and said internal container interior volume is exposed to said interior volume of said external vessel.

According to another aspect of the present invention, a multi-vessel drink containment system, includes: an internal container, including: a bowl including: an internal surface; an external surface; and a rim disposed at an interface of said internal surface and said external surface and defining an opening of said bowl, where said rim includes a gasket; and a lid configured to mate with said bowl so as to collectively define an interior volume of said internal container adapted to be at least partially filled with a first substance, where said lid includes a groove for receiving said gasket; and an external vessel including: a body including: an internal surface; and an external surface; where an interface said internal surface and said external surface defines an opening of said body, where said opening of said body is configured to receive said internal container therethrough; a cover configured to mate with said body so as to collectively define an interior volume of said external vessel adapted to be at least partially filed with a second substance, where said second substance is different from said first substance, where in a state of non-sustained agitation, said internal container is positioned within said interior volume of said external vessel and said gasket is fitted within said groove such that said lid is fixed to said bowl and said internal container interior volume is completely separated from said external vessel interior volume, and where in a state of sustained agitation, said internal container is positioned within said interior volume of said external vessel and said gasket is displaced from said groove such that said lid is separated from said bowl and said interior volume of said internal container is exposed to said interior volume of said external vessel.

According to another aspect of the present invention, an internal container adapted to be positioned within an external vessel, said internal container including: a bowl having an area moment of inertia; and a lid having an area moment of inertia and configured to mate with said bowl so as to collectively define an interior volume of said internal container adapted to be at least partially filled with a first substance, where in a state of non-sustained agitation, said internal container is positioned within an interior volume of said external vessel, said lid is fixed to said bowl, and said interior volume of said internal container is completely separated from said interior volume of said external vessel, and where said area moment of inertia of said lid is between about 1.1 and about 9.0 times greater than said area moment of inertia of said bowl.

According to yet another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a method for using a multi-vessel drink containment system includes the steps of: providing an internal container, where said internal container includes: a bowl includes: a first face defining an internal surface of said bowl; a second face defining an external surface of said bowl; and a rim disposed at an interface of said first face and said second face and defining an opening of said bowl, where said rim includes a latch and a gasket; and a lid configured to mate with said bowl so as to collectively define an internal container interior volume, where said lid includes: a first face defining an internal surface of said lid; a second face defining an external surface of said lid; and a groove for receiving said latch; at least partially filling said internal container with a first substance; attaching said lid to said bowl to enclose said first substance within said internal container interior volume; providing an external vessel, where said external vessel includes: a body includes: a first face defining an internal surface of said body; a second face defining an external surface of said body; and a rim disposed on an interface of said first face and said second face and defining an opening of said body; a cover configured to mate with said body so as to collectively define an external vessel interior volume, at least partially filling said external vessel with a second substance, where said second substance is different from said first substance; inserting said internal container into said external vessel interior volume; attaching said cover to said body to enclose said internal container within said external vessel interior volume; and agitating said external vessel and the contents of the external vessel such that said latch is displaced from said groove and said lid is separated from said bowl such that said internal container interior volume is exposed to said external vessel interior volume.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The foregoing and other features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description of the invention as illustrated in the accompanying drawings. The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated herein and form a part of the specification, further serve to explain the principles of the invention and to enable a person skilled in the pertinent art to make and use the invention.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an internal container in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a side view of an internal container in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a lower perspective view of a bowl of an internal container in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is an upper perspective view of a bowl of an internal container in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a lower perspective view of a lid of an internal container in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 6 is an upper-perspective view of a lid of an internal container in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of an internal container in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention taken along a vertical plane bisecting the internal container;

FIG. 8 is an enhanced cross-sectional view of the region A of the bowl of the internal container as shown in FIG. 7 ;

FIG. 9 is an enhanced cross-sectional view of the region A of the lid of the internal container in as shown in FIG. 7 ;

FIG. 10 is an enhanced cross-sectional view of the region A of the internal container in as shown in FIG. 7 ;

FIG. 11 is an enhanced cross-sectional view of the region A as shown in FIG. 7 in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 12 is an enhanced cross-sectional view of the region A as shown in FIG. 7 in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 13 is an enhanced cross-sectional view of the region A as shown in FIG. 7 in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 14 is a flowchart of a method for using an internal container in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional view of a bowl of an internal container being filled with a first substance in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 16 is a cross-sectional view of an internal container positioned within an external vessel in a state of non-sustained agitation in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 17 is a cross-sectional view of an internal container opened within an external vessel in an agitated state in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 18 is a cross-sectional view of the contents of an internal container mixed with the contents of an external vessel in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 19 is a perspective view of an internal container in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 20 is a cross-sectional view of the internal container of FIG. 18 taken along a vertical plane bisecting the internal container;

FIG. 21 is a plot of the acceleration of an external container vs. time in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 22 is a plot of the acceleration of an external container vs. time in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The following detailed description describes the best currently contemplated modes of carrying out the invention. The description is not to be taken in a limiting sense, but rather is made merely for the purpose of illustrating the general principles of the invention, since the scope of the invention is best defined by the appended claims.

Various inventive features are described below, and each can be used independently of one another or in combination with other features. However, any single inventive feature may not address any or all of the problems discussed above or may only address one of the problems discussed above. Further, one or more of the problems discussed above may not be fully addressed by any of the features described below.

Generally speaking, the present invention relates to the storage of a first substance within an internal container which is itself enclosed within an external vessel, such as a water bottle, mason jar, or baby bottle, filled with a second substance, for the purpose of storing the enclosed substance until mixing of substances is desired. The present invention, a specially designed internal container, allows for both on-demand and single-step mixing of two substances. To use the internal container, a user fills a first substance into the internal container in an open state, closes the internal container, and places the internal container, along with a second substance, inside the external vessel. The external vessel, with the internal container therein, may then be carried, used, or consumed by the user until mixing the two substances is desired. This requires that the container does not open or leak prior to the time at which a user desires the two substances to mix. The user then shakes or moves the external vessel with a sustained agitation to cause the internal container to strike an internal surface of the external vessel. Due to the imbalance in stiffness of the lid and bowl components, this causes a latch mechanism to detach, causing separation of the bowl and the lid, thus mixing of the first substance and the second substance. The internal container itself further facilitates the mixing of the first substance and the second substance.

Referring now to FIG. 1 , an overhead perspective view of an internal container 100 in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention is provided. As shown in FIG. 1 , the internal container 100 includes a bowl 110 and a lid 120. The lid 120 is configured to mate with the bowl 110 so as to define an interior volume (not shown) of the internal container 100 as described in greater detail below.

The lid 120 may optionally include one or more grip elements 122 along an outer perimeter 121 thereof. The grip elements 122 provide improved grip for a user when attaching the lid 120 to the bowl 110 or removing the lid 120 from the bowl 110. The grip elements 122 may be protrusions, depressions, or the like, though the present invention is not limited in this regard. While the grip elements 122 are shown as being provided on the lid 120, it is within the scope and content of the present invention for the grip elements 122 to be formed on either or both of the lid 120 and the bowl 110.

The bowl 110 may optionally include or more whisks 111 defined on an external surface 1102 of the bowl 110. The whisks 111 function as agitators or turbulators and assist in mixing substances as described in greater detail below. The one or more whisks 111 may be formed as protrusions or depressions in the external surface 1102 of the bowl 110. The one or more whisks 111 increase the external surface area of the bowl 110 and improve the whisking or mixing functionality of the internal container 100. This improved whisking or mixing functionality allows the internal container 100 to double as a container and also as a mixing ball, as known in the conventional art. While the whisks 111 are shown as being provided on the bowl 110, it is within the scope and content of the present invention for whisks 111 to be formed on either or both of the bowl 110 and the lid 120.

Moreover, the whisks 111 and the grip elements 122 serve an additional critical function. As shown in FIG. 1 , the whisks 111 break the smooth external contour of the external surface 1102 of the bowl 110 while the grip elements 122 similarly break the smooth external contour of the external surface 1202 of the lid 120. Therefore, the whisks 111 and the grip elements 122 are configured to inhibit the external surface 1102 of the bowl 110 or the external surface 1202 of the lid 120 from forming a seal with the internal surface of an external vessel (not shown) in use. Referring to the examples described above, in a case where the internal container 100 is disposed within an external vessel such as a baby bottle, a shake bottle, or the like, the internal container 100 can be left inside of the external vessel (not shown) during consumption with the whisks 111 and the grip elements 122 ensuring uninhibited transmission of the contents of the external vessel (not shown).

Referring now to FIG. 2 , a frontal view of the internal container 100 is provided. All of the elements described above with reference to FIG. 1 are again visible; however, from this perspective the whisks 111 are more clearly illustrated. As shown in FIG. 2 , according an embodiment, the whisks 111 may be defined in a spiral pattern. Though it should be understood that it is within the scope and content of the present invention for the whisks 111 to be formed in any number of configurations including but not limited to a linear pattern, a crosshatch pattern, and an asymmetrical pattern.

Referring now to FIG. 3 , a lower perspective view of the bowl 110 is provided. As shown in FIG. 3 , according to an embodiment of the present invention, at least a portion of a lower bowl surface 112 may be generally flat so as to define a surface on which to balance the bowl 110 when filling the bowl 110.

Referring now to FIG. 4 , an overhead perspective view of the bowl 110 is provided. As shown in FIG. 4 , the bowl 110 includes a rim 113 disposed at an upper annular surface thereof so as to define an opening into an interior volume 102 of the internal container 100. It is worth noting at this time that the interior volume 102 of the internal container 100 may be defined by one or more of the bowl 110 and the lid 120. The rim 113 of the bowl 110 will be described in greater detail below.

Referring now to FIG. 5 , a lower perspective view of the lid 120 is provided. As shown in FIG. 5 , in addition to the outer perimeter 121 and the grip elements 122, the lid 120 also includes a lip 123 positioned along the outer perimeter 121 and having a groove 124 defined therein. The Lid 120 is configured to mate with the rim 113 of the bowl 110 as described in detail below.

Referring now to FIG. 6 , an upper perspective view of the lid 120 is provided. No additional elements are illustrated in FIG. 6 , though FIG. 6 serves to further illustrate the positioning and depth of the grip elements 122 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring now to FIG. 7 , a cross-sectional view taken along a vertical plane bisecting the bowl 110 and the lid 120 of the internal container 100 is provided. This cross-sectional view affords a view of the mating of the bowl 110 and the lid 120, the relative thicknesses of the bowl 110 and the lid 120, and also how the lower bowl surface 112 provides a stable foundation for the internal container 100, for example when the bowl 110 is placed on a surface for filling.

This cross-sectional view of the internal container 100 also provides an ideal opportunity to look more closely at exemplary materials and dimensions of the internal container 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The internal container 100 must be capable of safely housing a first substance and releasing the first substance at a desired time without direct user contact with the internal container 100. Given these requirements, the internal container 100 must be formed of a food-safe material that is capable of forming a water-tight seal. It is also preferable that the material be bisphenol A-free (BPA-free), polyvinyl chloride-free (PVC-free), phthalate-free, and lead-free. Moreover, it is preferable that the material be heat-resistant to at least 100° C. Additionally it is also preferable that the material be elastic so as to allow for repeated use and to facilitate removal of the lid 120 from the bowl 110 without direct user contact. It is also preferable for the material to be sound absorbing so that the shaking process is not disturbing to the user or those around the user. According to an embodiment of the present invention the internal container 100 may be formed of food-safe silicone.

The interior volume 102 of the internal container 100 is preferably less than about 200 cc, more preferably between about 25 cc and about 200 cc, and most preferably between about 30 cc and about 150 cc; though it should be noted that the present invention is not limited in this regard.

An opening diameter D1 of the bowl 110 is dimensioned to accommodate a conventional powder scoop (not shown) having about a 40 g capacity. Preferably, the opening diameter D1 is between about 25.0 mm and about 100.0 mm, more preferably between about 30.0 mm and about 80.0 mm, and most preferably between about 40.0 mm and about 70.0 mm.

A thickness T1 between an internal surface 1101 and an external surface 1102 of the bowl 110 is substantially constant outside of the presence of whisks and depressions (not shown). A thickness of the lid 120 (no reference numeral) is similarly dimensioned. It is within the scope and content of the present invention for variances in thickness both due to manufacturing and also to improve operability of the internal container 100 both in terms of handling and mixing efficiency (e.g., due to grip elements and/or whisks). According to an embodiment of the present invention, the thickness T1 may be less than about 6.0 mm, preferably between about 0.25 mm and about 5.0 mm, and most preferably between about 1.0 mm and about 4.0 mm.

An external diameter D2 of the internal container 100 is dimensioned to fit within the mouth of an external vessel (not shown), which will be described in detail below. Generally, the external vessel may be a vessel that is larger than the internal container 100, for example a water bottle, a mason jar, a baby bottle, or the like. The external diameter D2 of the internal container 100 is less than about 12.0 mm greater than the opening diameter D1, preferably between about 0.5 mm to about 10.0 mm greater than the opening diameter D1, and most preferably between about 2.0 and about 8.0 mm greater than the opening diameter D1.

The final feature that is illustrated in FIG. 7 is the mating interface between the lid 120 and the bowl 110. While one can discern that the lid 120 is mated to the bowl 110, it is difficult to see exactly how the mating is achieved from the views that have been provided and described above.

Referring now to FIGS. 8-10 , several enlarged cross-sectional views of region A in FIG. 7 are provided. In detail, FIG. 8 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the portion of the bowl 110 within of region A in FIG. 7 , FIG. 9 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the portion of the lid 120 within region A in FIG. 7 , and FIG. 10 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of portions of the bowl 110 mated with the lid 120 within region A in FIG. 7 .

Referring now to FIG. 8 , an enlarged cross-sectional view of the bowl 110 within the region A in FIG. 7 illustrates features of the rim 113 of the bowl 110, which includes an upper perimeter surface 113 a positioned at the transition from the external surface 1102 of the bowl 110 to the internal surface 1101 of the bowl 110, an external upper wall 113 b that extends downward from the upper perimeter surface 113 a, and a ledge 113 c that extends outward from the external upper wall 113 b to the external surface of the bowl 110. According to an embodiment of the present invention, a gasket 113 d may be defined on the external upper wall 113 b between the upper perimeter surface 113 a and the ledge 113 c.

A thickness of the rim 113 between the internal surface 1101 of the bowl 110 and the external upper wall 113 b is preferably less than the thickness T1, more preferably less than about 80 percent of the thickness T1, and most preferably less than about 60 percent of the thickness T1.

The gasket 113 d extends away from the external upper wall 113 b, preferably the gasket 113 d extends from the external upper wall 113 b at least about 5 percent the thickness T1, more preferably the gasket 113 d extends from the external upper wall 113 b between about 5 percent and about 50 percent of the thickness T1, and most preferably the gasket 113 d extends from the external upper wall 113 b between about 10 percent and about 25 percent of the thickness T1.

As shown in FIG. 8 , the gasket 113 d includes a first gasket surface 113 d 1 and a second gasket surface 113 d 2. The first gasket surface 113 d 1 extends generally perpendicularly to the external upper wall 113 b, though it is worth noting that the present invention is not limited in this regard and the first gasket surface 113 d 1 may be offset from perpendicular by up to 45°. Preferably the second gasket surface 113 d 2 is offset from the first gasket surface 113 d 1 by an angle α. The angle α is preferably between about 15° and about 75°, more preferably between about 25° and about 55°, and most preferably between about 30° and about 45°. The structure of the gasket 113 d, and specifically the particular angles between the external upper wall 113 b, the first gasket surface 113 d 1, and the second gasket surface 113 d 2, are critical to interaction between the bowl 110 and the lid 120, as described below with reference to FIG. 10 .

It is worth noting at this time that it is within the scope of the present invention for the gasket 113 d to be monolithically formed with the bowl 110, monolithically formed with the lid 120, or alternatively formed as a discrete element. It is also within the scope and content of the present invention for the elements of the rim 113 to be formed on the internal surface 1101 of the bowl 110. The rim 113 may be referred to as a first latching component.

Referring now to FIG. 9 , an enlarged cross-sectional view of the lid 120 within the region A in FIG. 7 illustrates features of the lid 120, the lip 123, and the groove 124. The lip 123 of the lid 120 defines the outermost perimeter portion of the lid 120 at a transition between an internal surface 1201 of the lid 120 and an external surface 1202 of the lid 120. Specifically, the lip 123 defines the portion of the lid 120 that mates with the rim 113 of the bowl 110. According to an embodiment of the present invention, the lip 123 may include a lower perimeter surface 123 a, an internal lip wall 123 b extending upward from the lower perimeter surface 123 a, an upper perimeter surface 123 c extending inward from the internal lip wall 123 b, and a groove 124 defined in the internal lip wall 123 b. These features are dimensioned to correspond to the features and dimensions of the rim 113 so that the lip 123 and the rim 113 can mate to define the interior volume of the internal container 100. The lip 123 defines a second latching mechanism that forms a latch when mated with the first latching mechanism of the rim 113.

Referring now to FIG. 10 , an enlarged cross-sectional view of the bowl 110 and the lid 120 within the region A of FIG. 7 is provided. As shown in FIG. 10 , when the lid 120 is mated with the bowl 110, the lip 123 of the lid 120 surrounds the rim 113 of the bowl 110.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, at least one of the lid 120 and the bowl 110 is configured to elastically deform during mating. In detail, when the lid 120 is pressed onto the bowl 110, at least one of the rim 113 and the lip 123 is deflected until the gasket 113 d is received within the groove 123 d. From this enlarged cross-sectional view, a unique feature of the present invention is clearly illustrated. The surfaces that define the gasket 113 d are configured such that the removal of the lid 120 from the bowl 110 is made easier by the angles between the surfaces of the gasket 113 d as described above. In detail, since the angle between the first gasket surface 113 d 1 extends generally perpendicularly to the external upper wall 113 b and is less than the angle between the second gasket surface 113 d 2 and the external upper wall 113 b, it requires less force to remove the lid 120 from the bowl 110 that to attach the lid 120 to the bowl 110.

Referring now to FIG. 11 , an enlarged cross-sectional view of a bowl 110 and a lid 120 within the region A of FIG. 7 in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention is provided. In this alternative embodiment, the gasket 113 d shown in FIG. 10 may be included in the lip 123 rather than the rim 113. In this alternative embodiment, the features of the groove 124 and the gasket 113 d are effectively inverted. Moreover, while the first gasket surface 113 d 1 and the second gasket surface 113 d 2 are offset by the same angle α, it is worth noting that the first gasket surface 113 d 1 and the second gasket surface 113 d 2 are reversed as compared to the prior embodiment as this ensures that it is easier to remove the lid 120 from the bowl 110 than attach the lid 120 to the bowl 110.

Referring now to FIG. 12 , an enlarged cross-sectional view of a bowl 110 and a lid 120 within the region A of FIG. 7 in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention is provided. As shown in FIG. 12 , according to an alternative embodiment a gasket 113 d may be formed discretely from the bowl 110 and the lid 120. As shown in FIG. 12 , in contrast to the earlier embodiment, a first groove 124 a is defined in the rim 113 and a second groove 124 b is defined in the lip 123. It is within the scope of the present invention for the gasket 113 d to be seated within either the first groove 124 a or the second groove 124 b, while the other of the first groove 124 a and the second groove 124 b functions as the aforementioned groove 124. Moreover, while the gasket 113 d is shown as having a circular cross-section, it is within the scope of the present invention for the gasket 113 d to have various cross-sectional shapes provided that the gasket 113 d is compatible with the first groove 124 a and the second groove 124 b.

Referring now to FIG. 13 , an enlarged cross-sectional view of a bowl 110 and a lid 120 within the region A of FIG. 7 in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention is provided. As shown in FIG. 13 , in contrast to the earlier embodiment, the lid 120 is fitted within the bowl 110 rather than around the outside of the bowl 110. In the present embodiment, the gasket 113 d is defined on the rim 113 and extends toward the inside of the bowl 110. A groove 124 is defined on the lip 123 of the lid 120 and receives the gasket 113 d therein. It is also within the scope of the invention for the gasket 113 d and the groove 124 to be swapped in the same manner as shown above with respect to FIGS. 10 and 11 .

To better illustrate the present invention, FIGS. 14-18 illustrate a method of using an internal container 100 in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 14 is a flowchart for a method for using a multi-vessel drink containment system including an internal container and an external vessel. It should be understood that the following method steps are provided by way of illustration only, and the present invention is not limited in this regard. More specifically, method steps may be added, omitted, or performed in an alternative order within the scope of the present invention.

In a step S100, an internal container and an external vessel are provided. In a step S200, a first substance is filled into the internal container and the internal container is closed by attaching the lid to the bowl. In a step S300 both a second substance and the filled internal container are positioned within the external container and the external container is closed by attaching the cover to the base. In a step S400 the external container is subjected to an agitated state such that the gasket is displaced from the groove such that the lid is separated from the bowl and the interior volume of the internal container is exposed to the interior volume of the external vessel so as to combine the first substance and the second substance.

As described throughout the present disclosure, through this method the first substance and second substance may be kept separated until such time as mixing is desired. Moreover, the mixing may be implemented without direct user contact with the internal container or use of additional storage or mixing apparatuses.

Referring now to FIGS. 15-17 , several features of the present invention are more clearly shown through these illustrative figures. It is worth noting that each of FIGS. 15-17 provides a cross-sectional view of an internal container 100 disposed within an external vessel 500. While the cross-sectional view is along a vertical plane that passes generally through the center of the external vessel 500, for illustrative purposes the internal container 100 is also bisected by the vertical plane. It should be understood that in practice the position of the internal container 100 will only randomly be positioned centrally within the volume of the external vessel 500.

As shown in FIG. 15 , a first substance 301 is filled into the bowl 110 of the internal container 100 with a scoop 400, though the first substance 301 may be filled into the internal container 100 through any known means such as a spoon, a funnel, or directly from an additional container. FIG. 15 also better illustrates how the internal container 100 is dimensioned. Specifically, the opening diameter D1 of the internal container 100 is less than an external diameter D3 of the scoop 400. Further, it is noted that the interior volume 102 of the internal container 100 is greater than a volume of the scoop 400.

As shown in FIG. 16 , the lid 120 has been attached to the bowl 110 to define an enclosed interior volume 102 housing the first substance 301 within the internal container 100. Further, an external vessel 500 is partially filled with a second substance 302 and the internal container 100. The external vessel 500 may include a body 510 and a cap 520. Though not described in detail, the body 510 and the cap 520 may be embodied as a water bottle, a baby bottle, a mason jar, or any vessel capable of housing the internal container 100 and the second substance 302 therein. The body 510 includes an internal surface 5101 and an external surface 5102 which meet to define an external vessel opening which has an external opening diameter D3 which is greater than the external diameter D2 of the internal container 100. As shown in FIG. 16 , the internal container 100 keeps the first substance 301 separate from the second substance 302.

To make clear how the present invention begins to solve the problems identified in the state of the art, consider the following example. The first substance 301 may be a powdered infant formula or a powdered protein supplement and the second substance 302 may be water. As detailed above, in such an example it is desirable to keep the first substance 301 and the second substance 302 separate until such time that a user intends to consume the mixture of the first substance 301 and the second substance 302. The mating of the lid 120 and the bowl 110 as described above collectively forms the water-tight seal of the internal container 100. In other words, the internal container 100 can be placed within an external vessel 500 partially filled with water (the second substance 302) and keep the powdered formula or powered protein supplement (the first substance 301) separated from the water (the second substance 302).

Therefore, the internal container 100 solves the first two problems identified above with regard to the conventional art. First, the contents of the internal container 100 can be kept separate from the contents of the external vessel 500. Second, since the filled internal container 100 can be kept inside of the filled external vessel 500, the internal container 100 eliminates the need for bringing extra containers and/or utensils which are required when using the conventional art.

The one piece of the puzzle that has yet to be explained is how the contents of the internal container 100 and the external vessel 500 can be combined without requiring any direct user contact with the internal container 100. At this time, several states of agitation can be defined to aid in better understanding.

FIG. 16 can be used to describe the first two states of agitation. The first state of agitation can be described as a state of nil agitation.

In the first state of agitation, the external vessel 500, and therefore the contents of the external vessel 500 including the internal container 100, are at rest. It therefore follows that in this first state of agitation the internal container 100 will remain closed.

In the second state of agitation, the external vessel 500, and therefore the contents of the external vessel 500 including the internal container 100, are at a non-sustained state of agitation. In the non-sustained state of agitation, the external vessel 500, and therefore the contents of the external vessel 500 including the internal container 100, are subjected to some movement and some non-sustained agitation. For example, the external vessel 500 may be moved from a surface into a backpack and subsequently carried within the backpack while within the second state of agitation. When in the second state of agitation, the internal container 100 may move about within the external vessel 500, but the lid 120 will not separate from the bowl 110.

Therefore, for all intents and purposes, the first state of agitation and the second state of agitation can both be treated as a state of non-sustained agitation, where a state of non-sustained agitation is defined as an agitation of the external vessel 500 that does not dislodge the lid 120 from the bowl 110 of the internal container 100.

Referring now to FIG. 17 , a third state of agitation is shown. The third state of agitation can be described as a state of sustained agitation. According to an embodiment of the present invention, a state of sustained agitation is an intermittent acceleration of the external vessel 500 of between about 4 g's and about 30 g's for at least a portion of greater than about 2 seconds.

In the third state of agitation, the external vessel 500, and therefore the contents of the external vessel 500 including the internal container 100, are in motion. In this third state of agitation the lid 120 of the internal container 100 is separated from the bowl 110 of the internal container 100, thus exposing the interior volume 102 of the internal container 100 to the interior volume 502 of the external vessel 500. The manner in which the lid 120 of the internal container 100 is separated from the bowl 110 of the internal container 100 will be described in detail below.

Referring now to FIG. 18 , the lid 120 of the internal container 100 remains separated from the bowl 110 of the internal container 100 and the first substance 301 and the second substance 302 have combined to form a first mixture 303.

FIGS. 17-18 illustrate how the present invention solves the final problem identified in the conventional art, specifically how the contents of the internal container 100 can be added to the contents of the external vessel 500 without direct user contact with the internal container 100.

It is worth noting at this time that while the lid 120 and the bowl 110 are depicted as being formed as two discrete elements it is within the scope of the present invention for the lid 120 and the bowl 110 to be monolithically formed.

Referring now to FIGS. 19-20 , an internal container 100 in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention is shown. FIG. 19 is a perspective view of the internal container 100 in an open state. As shown in FIG. 19 , the internal container 100 includes a bowl 110, a lid 120, and a bridge member 130. The bridge member 130 allows for the lid 120 to separate from the bowl 110, while preventing the lid 120 and bowl 110 from being completely detached thereby preventing loss of the lid 120 or the bowl 110.

FIG. 20 is a cross-sectional view of the internal container 100 bisecting the bowl 110, the lid 120, and the bridge member 130. As shown in FIG. 20 , the bridge member 130 may be formed monolithically with the bowl 110 and the lid 120. It is also within the scope of the present invention for the bridge member 130 to be formed independently from one or both of the bowl 110 and the lid 120 and subsequently attached thereto.

To better understand the various states of agitation described above, FIGS. 21 and 22 provide exemplary plots of the acceleration of the external vessel 500 housing the internal container 100 as shown in FIG. 15 (i.e., the internal container 100 which is partially filled with a first substance 301 and the lid 120 is fixed to the bowl 110, while the external vessel 500 is partially filled with a second substance 302 and the cap 520 is fixed to the body 510).

FIG. 21 shows the acceleration of the external vessel 500 in the first and second states, i.e., in a state of non-sustained agitation. As shown in FIG. 21 , over a period of about 50 seconds, the external vessel 500 was often at or near rest with instances of peak acceleration of up to nearly 12 g's (about 118 m/s 2). However, it is noted that none of these instances of peak acceleration were maintained, or in other words, the external vessel 500 was not subjected to a state of sustained agitation with an intermittent acceleration of between about 4 g's and about 30 g's for at least a portion of greater than 2 seconds. Practically speaking, this plot represents the movement and possible accidental dropping of the external vessel 500 when there is no intent to open the internal container 100. When the external vessel 500 was subjected to such non-sustained agitation, the internal container 100 was not opened.

FIG. 22 shows the acceleration of the external vessel 500 in the third state, i.e., in a state of sustained agitation. As shown in FIG. 22 , over a period of about 50 seconds the external vessel 500 was subjected to several instances of prolonged intermittent agitation of at least about 1 Hz and preferably greater than about 2 Hz. From about 20 seconds to about 24 seconds and again from about 33 seconds to about 36 seconds the external vessel 500 was subjected to a shaking motion and with a sustained acceleration measured between about 3 g's and about 4 g's. From about 40 seconds to about 43 seconds the external vessel 500 was subjected to a shaking motion and with a sustained acceleration measured between about 4 g's and about 5 g's. From about 45 seconds to about 48 seconds the external vessel 500 was subjected to a shaking motion and with a sustained acceleration measured between about 6 g's and about 8 g's. The seal between the lid 120 and the bowl 110 was maintained until the external vessel 500 was subjected to between 6 g's and about 8 g's with a sustained acceleration having an oscillation rate of greater than about 2 Hz. Again, sustained agitation is an intermittent acceleration of between about 4 g's and 30 g's for at least a portion of greater than 2 seconds. The opening of the internal container 100 is denoted by a star on the plot shown in FIG. 21 . While the internal container 100 does not open immediately in the embodiment above, it is within the scope of the present invention for the internal container 100 to open upon being subjected to one or more shakes.

It is worth noting at this time that the sustained agitation of the external vessel 500 serves several important functions. As described above, the sustained agitation of the external vessel 500 facilitates the opening of the internal container 100. The sustained agitation of the external vessel 500 also facilitates the mixing of the contents of the external vessel 500 and the internal container 100. In other words, a user simply shakes the external vessel 500 as though they were mixing a protein shake or a baby bottle as described above. This single shaking step facilitates both the opening of the internal container 100 and the mixing of the contents of the external vessel 500 and the internal container 100.

This is an ideal time to dive deeper into how the lid 120 can be joined and removed from the bowl 110, and specifically how the sustained agitation of the external vessel 500 facilitates the opening of internal container 100 without direct user contact with the internal container 100. As described above, the bowl 110 and the lid 120 are preferably formed of a flexible material, such as a food-safe silicone.

At this time, three different opening techniques will be described. In the first opening technique, the lid 120 may simply be pried from the bowl 110. In such a case, a user simply grasps the outer perimeter 121 of the lid 120 and lifts the lid 120 away from the bowl 110. The lid 120 deforms in response to the force applied by the user such that the internal lip wall 123 b is moved clear of the gasket 113 d. Positioning of the lid 120 on the bowl 110 is the first opening technique in reverse.

The second opening technique is similar to the first opening technique in that the user deforms a portion of the internal container 100; however, in the second opening technique the user deforms the bowl 110. In detail, the user may apply a compressive force to the internal container 100 thereby deforming the bowl 110 such that the internal lip wall 123 b is moved clear of the gasket 113 d.

The third opening technique is unique to the present invention and solves the aforementioned issues identified in the prior art. In the third opening technique, the internal container 100 is positioned within an external vessel 500 and is opened with only indirect contact by the user. As described above, the internal container 100 may be opened by applying a state of sustained agitation to the external vessel 500. Through the sustained agitation of the external vessel 500, the internal container 100 and is moved in such a way that the internal container 100 strikes an internal surface 5101 of the external vessel 500 with a force sufficient to deform the bowl 110 such that the internal lip wall 123 b is moved clear of the gasket 113 d causing the lid 120 and the bowl 110 to separate.

The force sufficient to deform the bowl 110 such that the internal lip wall 123 b is moved clear of the gasket 113 d is related to the imbalance of the stiffness of the lid 120 and the stiffness of the bowl 110. According to an embodiment of the present invention, the lid 120 and the bowl 110 have matching diameters; however, the lid 120 and the bowl 110 have substantially different cross-sections. Given the disparate cross-sections of the lid 120 and the bowl 110, it follows that the lid 120 and the bowl 110 have substantially different area moments of inertia. Specifically, the area moment of inertia of the lid 120 is between about 1.1 and about 9.0 times greater than the area moment of inertia of the bowl 110, preferably the area moment of inertia of the lid 120 is between about 1.5 and about 5.0 times greater than the area moment of inertia of the bowl 110, and most preferably the area moment of inertia of the lid 120 is between about 2.0 and about 4.0 times greater than the area moment of inertia of the bowl 110.

Generally speaking, the deflection of an object is inversely proportionate to the area moment of inertia of the object. In other words, the deflection of the bowl 110 is greater than the deflection of the lid 120. Specifically, the deflection of the bowl 110 is between about 1.1 and about 9.0 times greater than the deflection of the lid 120, more preferably the deflection of the bowl 110 is between about 1.5 and about 5.0 times greater than the deflection of the lid 120, and most preferably the deflection of the bowl 110 is about 2.0 to about 4.0 times greater than the deflection of the lid 120. These numerical ranges reflect the aforementioned wall thickness ranges as described above.

Since stiffness is the load divided by the deflection, it can be said that for a given load the lid 120 has a greater stiffness than the bowl 110. In the case of the internal container 100, the load represents the force with which the internal container 100 strikes an internal surface of external vessel 500. While in the state of sustained agitation, this force is sufficient to deform the bowl 110, and to a lesser extent the lid 120, such that the internal lip wall 123 b is moved clear of the gasket 113 d. For the purposes of the above calculations, the force is applied normal to the tangent of the surface, or essentially from the side. However, in practice, a force within the stated range is sufficient to deform the bowl 110 and the lid 120 when applied from any direction.

As described above, this force may be generated by an intermittent acceleration of the external vessel 500 of between about 4 g's and about 30 g's for at least a portion of greater than about 2 seconds.

Certain exemplary embodiments (“examples”, “embodiments”, etc.) are described to provide an overall understanding of the principles of the function, structure, manufacture, use, and preparation of the devices and methodologies disclosed herein. While one or more embodiments and/or example are described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, one of ordinary skill in the relevant art will readily understand that the devices, processes, methods of use, relevant drawings, etc. specifically described herein are non-limiting exemplary embodiments and the scope of the invention is defined by the accompanying claims in this disclosure. The features described, illustrated, or exemplified with one or more embodiments may also be combined with the features of one or more other examples or embodiments. Such combinations, modifications, and variations are included within the scope of the presently described invention. One of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate and readily understand that the devices disclosed herein can have various configurations in addition to the examples and the embodiments disclosed herein, and that the various features as disclosed herein in the various embodiments are interchangeable and able to be combined.

One of ordinary skill in the art will readily understand that any ordering of method steps implied by the drawings or description herein is not to be construed as limiting or requiring the disclosed methods to perform the steps in that order. Rather the various steps of each of the methods disclosed herein can be performed in any of a variety of sequences. In addition, as the described methods are merely exemplary embodiments, various other methods including fewer steps or additional steps are also within the scope and content of the present invention.

Any publications and patent applications mentioned in the specification are indicative of the level of those skilled in the art to which this invention pertains. All publications and patent applications are hereby incorporated by reference to the same extent as if each individual publication or patent application was specifically and individually indicated to be incorporated by reference.

Although the foregoing invention has been described in some detail by way of illustration and example for purposes of clarity and understanding, certain changes and modifications may be practiced within the scope of the appended claims. Also, it should be understood that numerous changes may be made within the spirit and scope of the inventive concepts described herein. Accordingly, it is intended that the invention should not be limited to the described embodiments, but that it has the full scope defined by the following claims.

Although specific embodiments and aspects were described herein and specific examples were provided, the scope of the technology is not limited to those specific embodiments and examples. One skilled in the art will recognize other embodiments or improvements that are within the scope and spirit of the present technology. Therefore, the specific structure, acts, or media are disclosed only as illustrative embodiments. The scope of the technology is defined by the following claims and any equivalents therein. 

What is claimed is:
 1. An internal container adapted to be positioned within an external vessel, said internal container comprising: a bowl comprising: an internal surface; an external surface; and a rim disposed at an interface of said internal and said external surface and defining an opening of said bowl; and a lid configured to mate with said bowl so as to collectively define an interior volume of said internal container adapted to be at least partially filled with a first substance, wherein said lid comprises: a lip positioned along an outer perimeter of said lid, wherein in a state of non-sustained agitation, said internal container is positioned within said external vessel, said lid is fixed to said bowl, and said internal container interior volume is completely separated from an interior volume of said external vessel, and wherein in a state of sustained agitation, said internal container is positioned within said external vessel and said lid is separated from said bowl and said internal container interior volume is exposed to said interior volume of said external vessel.
 2. The internal container of claim 1, wherein said internal container further comprises: a bridge member joining said bowl to said lid.
 3. The internal container of claim 1, wherein said internal container comprises: a gasket positioned at an interface of said rim and said lip.
 4. The internal container of claim 3, wherein said gasket is monolithically formed with one of said bowl and said lid.
 5. The internal container of claim 3, wherein said gasket is discrete from said bowl and said lid.
 6. The internal container of claim 1, wherein in said state of sustained agitation, said lid is configured to separate from said bowl via a force applied by said external vessel.
 7. The internal container of claim 1, wherein one or more whisks are defined on at least one of said bowl and said lid.
 8. The internal container of claim 1, wherein in said state of sustained agitation, said external vessel is subjected to an intermittent acceleration of the external vessel of between about 4 g's and about 30 g's for at least a portion of greater than about 2 seconds.
 9. A multi-vessel drink containment system, comprising: an internal container, comprising: a bowl comprising: an internal surface; an external surface; and a rim disposed at an interface of said internal surface and said external surface and defining an opening of said bowl, wherein said rim comprises a gasket; and a lid configured to mate with said bowl so as to collectively define an interior volume of said internal container adapted to be at least partially filled with a first substance, wherein said lid comprises a groove for receiving said gasket; and an external vessel comprising: a body comprising: an internal surface; and an external surface; wherein an interface said internal surface and said external surface defines an opening of said body, wherein said opening of said body is configured to receive said internal container therethrough; a cover configured to mate with said body so as to collectively define an interior volume of said external vessel adapted to be at least partially filed with a second substance, wherein said second substance is different from said first substance, wherein in a state of non-sustained agitation, said internal container is positioned within said interior volume of said external vessel and said gasket is fitted within said groove such that said lid is fixed to said bowl and said internal container interior volume is completely separated from said external vessel interior volume, and wherein in a state of sustained agitation, said internal container is positioned within said interior volume of said external vessel and said gasket is displaced from said groove such that said lid is separated from said bowl and said interior volume of said internal container is exposed to said interior volume of said external vessel.
 10. The multi-vessel drink containment system of claim 9, wherein said internal container further comprises: a bridge member joining said bowl to said lid.
 11. The multi-vessel drink containment system of claim 9, wherein said gasket is positioned at least partially on said external surface of said bowl.
 12. The multi-vessel drink containment system of claim 9, wherein said gasket is positioned at least partially on said internal surface of said bowl.
 13. The multi-vessel drink containment system of claim 9, wherein said gasket is monolithically formed with said bowl.
 14. The multi-vessel drink containment system of claim 9, wherein said gasket is discrete from said bowl.
 15. The multi-vessel drink containment system of claim 9, wherein in said state of sustained acceleration, said lid is configured to separate from said bowl via a force applied by said external vessel.
 16. The multi-vessel drink containment system of claim 11, wherein one or more whisks are defined on at least one of said bowl and said lid.
 17. The multi-vessel drink containment system of claim 9, wherein in said state of sustained agitation, said external vessel is subjected to an intermittent acceleration of the external vessel of between about 4 g's and about 30 g's for at least a portion of greater than about 2 seconds.
 18. An internal container adapted to be positioned within an external vessel, said internal container comprising: a bowl having an area moment of inertia; and a lid having an area moment of inertia and configured to mate with said bowl so as to collectively define an interior volume of said internal container adapted to be at least partially filled with a first substance, wherein said area moment of inertia of said lid is between about 1.1 and about 9.0 times greater than said area moment of inertia of said bowl.
 19. The internal container of claim 18, wherein said area moment of inertia of said lid is between about 1.5 and about 5.0 times greater than said area moment of inertia of said bowl.
 20. The internal container of claim 18, wherein said area moment of inertia of said lid is between about 2.0 and about 4.0 times greater than said area moment of inertia of said bowl. 